The Seattle Mariners were linked with multiple notable hitters over the recent free agency period, but in the end, they did not sign any such talents to blockbuster deals.
Among the players who the Mariners showed an intrigue in hauling in was now Colorado Rockies outfielder Kris Bryant. Seattle was in the rumor mill with Bryant for a multiyear agreement, but he elected to instead put pen to paper on a seven-year deal with Colorado worth $182 million.
Overall, there was mutual interest between the Mariners and Bryant.
According to the New York Post’s Jon Heyman, Bryant had the Mariners “high on his list” in free agency. This came as the Mariners had holes to fill across the board with their lineup, including finding a replacement for third baseman Kyle Seager.
The Mariners ended their pursuit of Bryant after they decided to not budge on their stance of signing him to a five-year deal. In contrast, the veteran outfielder preferred a longer-term contract in free agency.
Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto instead opted to look towards the Cincinnati Reds to address their opening at third base coupled with their depth concerns in the outfield, as he completed a multiplayer trade that hauled in both Eugenio Suarez and Jesse Winker in March.
Bryant has so far had a roller-coaster start to his run in Colorado. He has logged a .338 batting average in 15 games played, but he has been sidelined as of late due to back soreness.
The Mariners currently sit in third place in the AL West with a 14-18 record.
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